Due to the many outdoor uses of padlocks, protective covers have been provided to minimize the exposure of the padlock, particularly the keyway and the internal components of the padlock, to moisture and other contaminants, in an effort to extend service life by minimizing corrosion or oxidation of metallic lock components and damage caused by contamination. Previously proposed covers have been provided with a keyway cover to be fitted over a portion of the lock body on which the keyway is disposed.
To open the lock, the keyway covering portion of the previously proposed covers may be removed to access the keyway. However, this may present the risk of loss or accidental removal of the keyway cover. In other proposed embodiments, a keyway covering portion may be provided with an expandable opening to access the keyway without removing the keyway cover. The opening in some proposed covers has been limited to a slit in the flexible bottom portion, allowing the material at the slit to be pressed open when a key is pressed against the slit for insertion in the keyway, or allowing the slit to be opened by squeezing the ends of the cover, similar to the operation of a plastic coin purse. After the key is removed from the lock, the slit contracts back to its original form. However, this type of slit in the bottom cover may allow moisture or other contamination to enter the keyway through the slit, particularly if repeated unlocking of the lock has resulted in plastic deformation of the cover material, causing the slit to widen.